Month: July 2018

When I was young, I had always thought of traveling and exploring the world; who else doesn’t like traveling? Seeing beautiful places, meeting new people and emerging into a different culture could be an exciting experience.

Allow me to share with you my travel experience to Dubai from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dubai, is considered as the Paris of the gulf and one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Dubai has transformed into a great metropolis from a simple fishing village a couple of years back.

Me with the background of Burj-Al-Arab, the grandest hotel in Dubai known as the only 7-star hotel in the world.

Currently, Dubai – is among the top travel destinations, millions of tourists are eager to see and explore this extravagant city. I had my chance to visit this popular city during the week-long Eid holidays. Traveling to Dubai from Saudi Arabia isn’t difficult, the flight is cheap and affordable.

Reaching in Dubai, I stayed at Deira district, Diera is one of the oldest cities in Dubai. The place is full of expatriate communities mainly from Asia, although Diera isn’t too close to the popular landmarks. However, transportation isn’t a big issue since Deira has many train stations nearby.

Exploring Around the Hotspots of Dubai

Day one, I went around in the most popular tourist spots, first – the most highly rated, deemed as the only 7-star hotel in the world the– Burj Al-Arab. This hotel is among the most expensive hotels according to the global ranking, the cheapest one night stay is around 2,000 up to 30,000 U.S dollars. So if you want to feel of being a royalty, consider staying at this hotel.

My next stop was in the Palm Island, a purely man-made island in Dubai, the island is shaped like palm tree grows mainly in the Gulf. This island is composed of various real estate properties where you can invest and buy. Famous Hollywood celebrities have properties here, just prepare a million bucks to stay in this exclusive islands.

A picture of myself at the Palm Island, behind me, is the majestic Atlantis Hotel one of the most visited tourist attractions in Dubai.

Within the Palm Island is where the famed Atlantis Hotel, another luxurious hotel, and popular landmark. The structure of the hotel is like in a fairy-tale, I had enjoyed taking photos at the entrance that looks like out of this world.

After my visit to the Palm Island, I headed to Marina Mall. This mall is one of the biggest malls in Dubai where you can shop affordable to high-end brands like Chanel, Luis Vuitton, Gucci and many more, as a souvenir, I bought one pair of shoes.

Of course, I can’t miss seeing the ultimate pride of this city, the tallest building by far, the – Burj Khalifa, the building is so great and majestic. It’s around 830 meters high from the base to tip. Along with the Burj Khalifa is the biggest mall, the – Dubai Mall.

A picture of myself jumps with joy at the Marina Bay in Dubai, from afar are the sprawling skyscrapers of Dubai City.

The mall is so huge that you can’t explore it in one day, there is a large number of different varieties of shops and international restaurants. This mall has been featured in several documentaries and Hollywood movies especially the waterfall inside.

Visit Dubai at Least Once in Your Life

If you ask me whether to recommend visiting Dubai, I would say, at least once in your life you should see this city firsthand. Seeing the biggest, tallest, and grandest man-made structures are truly jaw-dropping.

Working in Saudi Arabia is being in the center of the world, which means a great opportunity to travel great places and countries from East to West. Today i would like to guide you as how to travel to United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia. UAE is extremely popular and famous, perhaps because of Dubai City, where most of the biggest, the tallest and grandest things on earth exist.

Last June 2017, during the Eid Holidays, i had a chance to visit UAE from Saudi Arabia. I was very excited because it was my first time travelling to UAE and my first time travelling to another country outside Saudi Arabia. As a residence here in the gulf travelling to UAE is not too difficult because of our residence card.

At first I was not planning to visit UAE, it wasn’t really my intention. However, there was one travel agency that offered a very reasonable price which would tour you around Abu Dhabi and Dubai for five days. So I made my decision, went to the travel agency and book my reservation. Question? am I allowed to travel to UAE as a Filipino without visa? The answer is no, as a Filipino even if I have residence card in Saudi Arabia, I have to pre-arrange or get the visa first prior going to UAE.

From afar the visible sky-scrappers of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

For Faster Visa Approval Apply Through Travel Agency

In my case, it was very easy because the travel agency did all the preparations including visa arrangement. However, if you want to get the visa by yourself, you can either apply through UAE consulate personally or download your application on their website. Since UAE is not too far from Saudi Arabia, I went there by land trip.

Behind me is the entrance of the Emirates Palace hotel, one of the scenes of Fast & Furious was filmed here.

From Al-Khobar City to Abu Dhabi it took around 8 hours by bus including traffic jam and immigration checkpoint. Indeed it was very exhausting, Abu Dhabi City is the capital city of United Arab Emirates, just like Dubai, Abu Dhabi is full of high skyscrapers and establishments.

Meet Jilbert Calpito, 45 years old from Bacoor Cavite, Philippines. Like many Overseas Filipino Workers in Saudi Arabia, Jilbert decided to leave his country in search of a greener pasture to support his family’s growing needs.

Prior to working in Saudi Arabia, Jilbert used to work as a teacher in Kazakhstan. Back in the Philippines Jilbert is a licensed teacher of English Language, Arts, and Literature after acing the American Board Exam in 2009.

Jilbert, wearing full black smiles along with his colleague in the office. Above them is his artwork displayed on the wall of the corridor.

It was among the darkest moment of my life, I have to start all over again from the scratch. I was desperate and overwhelmed with negative thoughts, I have lost self-esteem and self-confidence.

The incident worsens my depression, I am unable to concentrate for a month or two, I kept on blaming myself for what had happened. I tried to stay strong and pretended I’m alright, until one day I have given up! I have accepted my defeat and that I’m a loser. I was jobless for 8 months, I was worried my money is running out fast, I need to find a job by hook or by crook before I am penniless.

Among the most beautiful experience before getting old is traveling and exploring new countries around the world. Being a migrant worker here in the Middle East gives me so much opportunity to travel to nearby countries.

However, my happiness in this American I.T company was short-lived, I have to leave and go back to the Philippines. In an unfortunate event, I have accidentally washed up my passport in the washing machine! Yes, I washed-up my passport in the washing machine of the hotel. Isn’t it weird? Or an act of idiocy, what do you think? I’m just human, I’m not in control of everything.

I went back home to renew my passport after the incident.

I froze when I saw my passport inside the washing machine along with my clothes, I was speechless – my entire body numbed for a moment. I was scared and worried, my work visa is on my passport and now it has been ruined. I don’t even know what to do and what would happen to me now.

It’s everyone’s dream to land a better job and prosperous career after finishing a degree to provide our needs and support our families. But finding a good company is already a difficult challenge for everyone, how much more getting hired by the biggest energy company in the world?

During my flight from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia.

My journey to my dream company started back in 2012 when I first arrived in Saudi Arabia looking for a greener pasture. My first company was a manpower supply agency that provides staff to reputable companies in the kingdom.

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is derived from the first book of the Bible, I am Genesis, an expat worker from the Philippines and currently working and living here in the wonderful country of Saudi Arabia – the holiest land of Islam.

This is me during my recent trip to Armenia from Saudi Arabia.

How I end-up here in Saudi Arabia?

My decision to work here in the Kingdom was based upon on the fact that, searching for a better job opportunity in the Philippines is quite difficult. Especially for a fresh graduate like me. I have completed a degree in Bachelor of Science in Communication Management back in 2012.